SCENARIO #1

Ben the Truck Driver

In this scenario, Ben is a truck driver who has been driving for at least 15 years and is now complaining of right shoulder and neck pain. Ben is 45 years old, 6 feet tall, and weighs 220 pounds. Ben has been driving a semi-truck, which has a handle for climbing into the truck and it is mounted on the side of the cab. The trailers Ben usually hauls are box trailers, and Ben has to climb into and out of the trailer multiple times per day using the handle on the rear of the trailer.

Scenario #1

Scenario one allows you to focus on thinking about the area near the immediate work space. Expanding upon the truck driver's scenario from Unit I, Ben is delivering pipe to an oil field in North Dakota. The pipe comes from a yard in Texas where the driver picked up the load. During the trip up to the delivery site, Ben notices a large red mark on his upper arm. As the trip progresses, the red mark appears to look infected and ulcerated. Ben delivers the load and then seeks medical attention. The diagnosis is a bite from a Brown Recluse Spider, which requires overnight hospitalization, surgical debridement, and then additional treatments of intravenous antibiotics.

Question 1. As you visualize the employee's environment, how might this driver have been bitten by the spider? Explain the normal habitat for the Brown Recluse Spider and what might be done to prevent such a bite from occurring again. Your response should be at least 150 words.

Question 2. The truck trailer is a flatbed type of trailer and the pipe is loaded on the trailer and then secured. The pipe is loaded from a pile on the ground. As the pipe is loaded, the driver has to secure the load. The pipe is loaded in Texas in July. Describe what temperature and humidity issues the driver might have to face and mitigate while loading and securing the pipe on the trailer. Your response should be at least 150 words.

Question 3. Explain the hazards associated with working around the loading and unloading of material as it relates to line of fire, pinch point, and falls. How would each of these issues be addressed by the driver prior to beginning the evolution of loading and unloading? Your response should be at least 150 words.

SCENARIO # 2

Beth's Office Setting.

Beth works in an office setting for five days per week. In her cubicle, she typically uses her computer to perform her responsibilities. While Beth only stands five feet and two inches tall, the equipment at her cubicle is more suitable for a taller employee. One advantage is that she is able to adjust the height on her rolling desk chair. After performing her responsibilities at her cubicle for several years, Beth has been recently suffering from back and neck pain. As a result, Beth communicated her pain to her company and has requested an evaluation by a doctor.

Beth, the office worker from scenario 2 above, is working in a new office setting. The building construction has just been completed and the workers are now completing their tasks inside the new office building. As the workers are new to the building, several issues start to appear before they are communicated to the building manager.

Question 1. Several employees begin complaining of headaches and eye strain while at work. Individually, the employees seem to take the complaints in stride, but during one particular meeting the complaints come to light. Describe several items that might cause this type of complaint in multiple workers in a new building. Your response should be at least 150 words.

Question 2. Beth has now taken possession of her new work area. All new furniture has been installed with new tools for the desk and surrounding areas. Give examples of measurements that could be taken from the employee (anthropometry) and apply them to making adjustments to the work space area. Your response should be at least 150 words.

Question 3. Discuss the OSHA regulation General Duty Clause 5(a)(1) as it relates to this scenario. Also, explain the OSHA General Duty Clause 5(b) as it might relate as well. Your response should be at least 150 words.

Reference: Lehto, M., & Landry, S. J. (2013). Introduction to human factors and ergonomics for engineers (2nd ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.